Luxury Hotels - Grand Hotel - Taipei

I will be in Taipei for the first time soon and will be staying at the Grand Hyatt with my colleagues (business trip).

Here's my question. I have always admired the Grand Hotel (not be confused with the Hyatt!). My "feelings" are based only on its architecture (both pre and post fire). I have read many bad things about the service there. I was actually thinking of staying there for a weekend during my free time in Taipei - it's close to the National Palace Museum if I understand correctly.

Is that crazy? If so, is there a nice bar or restaurant in the hotel to be recommended.

I probably would not spend the weekend at this hotel since it is not convenient to everything. I would just go there for an afternoon tea and have some Chinese dim sum. And take some photos.

I've never stayed there, so I can't comment on what it's like. Location: yes, closer than downtown hotels to the NPM, but not really close--still a pretty hefty taxi or bus ride. As noted above, it's not really close to anything (except the Shilin night market). On the other hand, it certainly does look cool.

It's a nice hotel; my parents and I stayed there one night during our trip. We didn't spend a lot of time there, so I can't comment on the service. We got upgraded to a suite, which was great. However, I wouldn't say that it's any better than other nice hotels in the area.

There are restaurants located on site, but as others have said, it's pretty far from anything else. There is/was a shuttle (I was there in 2005) that runs between the Shilin (I believe) MRT station and the Grand Hotel, at fixed intervals.

Thanks for all the advice. In the end, I went there with a colleague for only a beer on a Saturday afternoon. I'm glad I went there and I'm glad I didn't stay there.

The hotel feels like one of those "luxury" hotels on the Mainland run by the Chinese, rather than an international chain.

The building is exquisite and I can only imagine how much it costs to maintain the intricate and detailed painting on the facade and on some of the interior areas.

The hotel however is very oddly laid-out in terms of food and beverage areas. The lobby outlets for example do not serve just drinks - you have to order a meal. They directed us to another outlet in the back of the hotel which was closed due to a wedding. (In fact, I think there were 3 wedding receptions going on the Saturday afternoon I visited.) They in turn directed us to another area - accessed only via a shopping arcade - which was truly in the back of the hotel (in fact in an adjacent building) but with distant river views where we were fnally allowed to have our beer.

They only sold one beer - Taiwan Beer. This was fine by me because I had come to like this beer very much. They however served it from a bent and dirty aluminum can - which they left on the table, rather than a proper bottle like EVERY other establishment I'd visited in Taipei. (In their "defense," however, the beer costs about 1/3 of what the Hyatt charged...)

Based on my limited experience, I'd say this hotel has tremendous potential. It just needs better management.

Wgere did you stay in the end? My onl;y ever trip to Taipei was last October and stayed at the Shangri La and it was really beautiful and within walking distance from all the bars / restaurants etc you need.

Wgere did you stay in the end? My onl;y ever trip to Taipei was last October and stayed at the Shangri La and it was really beautiful and within walking distance from all the bars / restaurants etc you need.

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt. It's located right by the Taipei 101 Tower and lots of good shopping there and at Mitsukoshi's amazingly large and spread-out shopping "village."

The Grand Hyatt was fine and I'd probably stay there again - because I like the location. However, it is by no means a perfect hotel and I experienced some annoyance every day --- none too big to complain about, but the accumulation was a bit too much.............

That place is widely regarded to be haunted, stay away.